


Voices In My Head

by AuthorA97



Series: The FrostIronStrange Soulmate AU We Deserve [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Also it, Also its not mentioned but Phil survives, Angst, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Mind Control, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Stephen Strange Puts Up With So Much Shit, Tony Stark Does What He Wants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 12:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorA97/pseuds/AuthorA97
Summary: But of the voices in my head, the loudest one is mine. Might still have voices in my head- but the loudest one is mine.





	Voices In My Head

_ I am King of these mortals. _

_ I will rule over them _

_ Reveal to them the truth of their hearts. _

_ They were made to kneel before you. _

_ Show them. _

_ Show them. _

_ Command them. _

_ For you are Loki, and you are burdened with glorious purpose. _

==VIMH==

Loki stepped through the portal.

He observed the room where he stood. The mortals had indeed gone far in their science, as far as it could even take them at least. 

Perfect for the taking.

“Sir please put down the spear.” A voice requested.

Loki tilted his head. He looked down in his hand. Sure enough, a spear was there. A sceptre worthy of a king. Glorious.

Gods do not obey the forces of men. Loki sent his magic into the staff, focused his will. The Gem inside followed the command- sending a beam of energy towards the man that had spoken. Yet one of his people knocked him aside.

Hmm...there would be use in that one. For an idea was gifted to Loki by the Gem, of how to rule over the masses of the pathetic mortals.

Before Loki could advance on that plan he was attacked at all sides. Loki swatted them down like the flies they were. Once the vermin were disposed with Loki used the Gem on the soldier.

“You have heart.” Loki told him.

He placed the tip of the soldier’s chest. The man’s eyes shifted to black then the same blue as the Gem’s casing.

Loki moved to the other agents in the room, left alive unlike their shield brothers. Barton- the name slipped into his mind, a faint whisper that told him he had always known the man’s name.

With his many new eyes from his soldiers, Loki was aware of what Director Fury- the name came as well as the others- some of the names of the fallen slipped in with it- was doing to the Space Stone.

He changed one more of the agents to his side, before properly scolding the last. “Please don’t. I still need that.”

Director Fury turned to Loki. The Space Stone still in his possession. “This doesn’t have to get any messier.”

Loki wanted to laugh at the naivety. “Of course it does. I’ve come too far for anything else.”

_ (-yes you did-there’s something more-you need to get them-) _

_ (“-Odinson, Prince of Asgard. Your second Soulmate.” _

_ “Odinson?” _

_ “Yes. Of Asgard.”) _

_ (“Laufeyson.”) _

“I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”

_ (The skin beneath his bracelets buzzed) _

“Loki? Brother of Thor?”

Loki glared his way. He would be sure that when the man was his that the friend of Thor would pay.

“We have no quarrel with your people.” Director Fury assured.

“An ant had no quarrel with a boot.” Loki countered.

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ant- _

“You planning to step on us?” Director Fury inquired.

“I come with glad tidings, of a world made free.” Loki vowed.

“Free from what?” Director Fury questioned.

“Freedom. Freedom is life’s great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart-” Loki whirled around, touching the Sceptre to the friend of Thor. His eyes shifted black to blue. “-you will know peace.”

“Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing.” Director Fury commented.

“Sir, Director Fury is stalling.” Barton informed his new King. “This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us.”

Loki gave the Director a look of appraisement. 

Director Fury showed no shame at being caught out. Perhaps the man thought their was no chance of escape for Loki and his soldiers. “Like the Pharaohs of old.”

“He’s right.” Dr Selvig informed Loki. “The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.”

“Well then. “ Loki turned to Barton. The command in his mind pushed to the Sceptre, who pushed it into Barton.

The archer shot Director Fury. The man collapsed to the ground, dropping the Space Stone.

Loki left. His soldiers followed behind. With the Gem he could extend his own awareness to the soldiers, controlling their actions as well as seeing the actions prior.

It was with ease they came upon the trucks. Easier to leave the facility with the Space Stone in his grasp. Sure there had been one or two humans who fought against it- Loki certainly hadn’t expected the helicopter- they got away.

Victory was on his tongue. It was  _ sweet. _

==VIMH==

_ (Across the world- on a fraying Soulmate bond- two Soulmates were shocked to see their Third had just been declared the enemy.) _

==VIMH==

Loki sat down on his new base of operations-

_ (Should he be sitting down or standing up?!) _

-watching his soldiers run around. Each working on their own separate orders. All would be used to bring about His great plan.

Selvig himself was working on the workings for the Space Stone. Once it worked then a portal could be made for His Army of Chitauri.

Loki let himself relax. He allowed his mind to wander, to be moved.

He opened his eyes to a cluster of asteroids. Loki paid them little attention, focusing instead on the Other. 

“The Chitauri grow restless.” The Other warned him.

“Let them go at themselves. I will lead them into glorious battle.” Loki promised.

The Other scoffed. “Battle? Against the meager might of Earth?”

“Glorious, not lengthy.” Loki clarified. “If your force is as formidable as you claim.”

“You question us? You question HIM?” The Other raged. Oh how easy it was to push his buttons. “He, who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?”

“I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed!” Loki ranted.

“Your ambition is little, born of childish need.” The Other scoffed.

_ (Yet as he said them, on the inside, he raged. Those were not his words. This was not his ambition.) _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ste- _

_ (Ste- _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ste- _

“We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil.” The Other explained.

“You don’t have the Tesseract yet.” Loki reminded. The Other rushed for an attack. Loki raised his sceptre to halt the Other. “I don’t threaten, but until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words.”

“You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us-” The words than came sunk into his bones. A hypnotic effect to them that Loki would not notice until it was too late. “-there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can’t find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.”

The Other zapped Loki back to Midgard.

Loki huffed, trying to write off any pain as nonchalance. He went to observe his troops.

==VIMH==

Barton had requested a distraction. He would receive one.

Loki swaggered through security. As he spotted his target, he prepared his Sceptre for a fight. Loki walked down the large grandiose steps towards his target. A guard noticed him. The guard took one step towards Loki. He whacked a guard in the head with his disguise Sceptre. He moved along, 

The guests noticed that.

In a panic, they began to run. Loki kept his attention on his target. He moved towards him in a beeline.

Loki grabbed the doctor by his jacket. He flipped him onto the marble table of a bilchsteim. Loki pulled out the device he had been given by his soldiers for capturing the eyeball.

He pressed it to the doctor’s face, just over his eye. The doctor screamed in pain, convulsing beneath Loki’s hands.

With the eyeball taken care of, Loki left the party. The crowd of escapees were panicking on the streets.

A police car was driving up. Loki barely paid it a glance before blasting it with the Sceptre. The car flipped over and over, crashing on the sidewalk.

Loki grinned.

He held his hands out to the terrified crowd. “Kneel before me.” He ordered them.

When they ignored him, Loki materialized copies of himself. They all had Sceptres, holding them up to control the crowd. They were corralled into one spot, all of them shaking in fear.

“I said. KNEEL!” Loki ordered.

The crowd knelt.

Loki grinned- feeling the rush of victory coursing through him.

“Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?” Loki asked his rhetoric to the crowd. “It’s the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”

In the crowd, one man stayed standing. It had taken Loki a moment to see him, for the elderly man was shorter in his old age. 

“Not to men like you.” The man informed Loki.

Loki chuckled, deep and low in his throat. “There are no men like me.”

The man only gave him a small confident smile. “There are always men like you.”

“Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example.” Loki advised. His Sceptre began to glow brightly. Yet as he fired at him a shield blocked his way. 

The blast blew Loki onto his ass.

It wasn’t his proudest moment.

“You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.”

Captain America.

Loki stood back on his feet, grinning widely at the walking American flag. Steve Rogers. Who fell to ice in 1945, woke up a few months ago. “The soldier. A man out of time.”

“I’m not the one who’s out of time.” Captain America boasted. Behind him, a jet arrived.

Loki tilted his head at it. His accessed memories from the soldiers told him it was a quinjet- manufactured by To-

_ “Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.” _

_ Nat _

The memory came from Barton- how fortuitous.

Loki sent a blast of magic towards the jet. Natasha- the Black Widow- avoided the shot. Captain America took the chance to throw his shield at Loki. The two of them came to blows soon enough, with Loki soon throwing Captain America to the ground. Loki made sure to stand over his prey.

He pointed his Sceptre towards the soldier’s mind. “Kneel.” He ordered.

“Not today!” Captain America shouted. He flipped around, kicking Loki’s leg. Loki grabbed said leg, flinging Captain America about. 

The fight was cut off by...music?

_ “Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?” _

Loki hesitated. 

He...knew that voice.

_ (“Yeah okay. I’ll bite. Who are you?" _

_ “Your parents weren’t just into Norse gods from a billion years ago?” _

_ “Yeah. About that. I don’t have any “Odinson’.”) _

But he couldn’t remember just from where.

The Man of Iron dropped down at his feet. Loki could only stare at it, drawn only to shock.

The name of this Avenger kept being pressed into his mind. It faded away before Loki could grab to it. What was this odd magic? 

The Man of Iron aimed his gauntlets at Loki. “Make your move, Reindeer Games.”

Loki could only surrender.

_ (It was him. _

_ He was there. _

_ RUN ANTHONY!) _

“Good move.” The Man of Iron told him.

Loki was only further confused. He had known he was to surrender- gain access to their helicarrier, a further distraction while his soldiers placed the portal- but he was supposed to give more fight than this. He was to fight them both.

_ (I could hurt them _

_ My Soulmates _

_ Jötunn skin freezes. _

_ If I ever touch my Soulmates- _

_ -if I were to drop this curse on my flesh- _

_ -I would kill them. _

_ Norns I could kill my Soulmates.) _

“Mr Stark.” The Captain greeted curtly.

“Captain.” The Man of Iron greeted in return.

_ Stark...Stark...where have I heard that name before? _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ant- _

_ (Ste- _

_ (Ste- _

==VIMH==

Loki sat on their quinjet, being moved to his newest prison.

_ “Said anything?” _ Came Fury’s voice from their communication device. Loki’s hearing was far superior to that of the mortals.

“Not a word.”

_ “Just get him here. We’re low on time.” _

Even with those distractions, Loki kept his attention on the Man of Iron.

He had shed his armor and Loki-

_ (No) _

And Loki-

_ (No!) _

And Loki-

_ (NO!) _

And Loki-

(NO!)

And Loki-

**(NO!)**

-felt adrift.

Why had the sight of this mortal done so to Loki?

Why could he not hold onto the information his soldiers where sharing with him of Ant-

Loki’s mind ached. He turned to the floor, glaring at the metal. He pushed the pain back. There was no time to show weakness to his future subjects.

“I don’t like it.”

“What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?”

_ (“ _ _ S nice. Little too Rock of Ages but hey, I get it. _ _ ) _

Loki barely stopped himself from making a hissing noise of pain. Something had spiked in his mind- hurting him.  _ Actually _ hurting him.

He ignored the pain blossoming in his chest. Once again, he believed it to be his tainted blood rejecting him.

“I don’t remember it being ever that easy. This guy packs a wallop.” Steve Rogers warned the Man of Iron.

“Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What’s your thing? Pilates?” 

_ (...Ste-) _

_ (This is not our-) _

_ (-Ste-) _

“What?”

“It’s like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle.” Man of Iron explained in babble that went over Loki’s head.

“Fury didn’t tell me he was calling you in.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of things Fury doesn’t tell you.”

_ Who are you, Man of Iron, that would confound a god? _

_ Because I must say, I enjoy watching this exchange with your supposed teammates. _

Thunderstruck outside.

Loki tensed.

_ Oh my...what a change.  _

_ They couldn’t have repaired the BiFrost so quick- _

“Where’s this coming from?” Natasha Romanoff questioned.

Thunder rumbled outside. Loki glanced to the window- searching for the Golden Prince of Asgard.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little lightning?” Steve Rogers asked.

“I’m not overly fond of what follows.” Loki replied.

The Man of Iron stiffened at Loki’s statement. Oh, had the mortal put it together before the others. 

Another loud rumble. 

The ramp of the quinjet opened. Thor stood on it.

Loki braced himself.

Thor rushed over, grabbing Loki by the throat. The two flew out into the night.

_ (ANT-!) _

Thor dropped Loki onto a mountain. 

Loki was barely able to get his bearings when Thor aimed Mjolnir his way.

“Where is the Tesseract?” Thor questioned.

Loki looked up towards the quinjet- unable to keep his thoughts on anything else

“Speak to me Loki!” Thor snapped. “Do I look to be in a gaming mood?!”

Loki forced himself to remember his plan- and oh wasn’t that just a surprise itself? “Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your _ precious  _ Earth.”

Thor gripped Loki by the shoulders, having to drop Mjolnir on the dirt. “I thought you dead.”

“Did you mourn?” Loki countered, not believing Thor for a single moment. Who mourned a lost relic?

“We all did. Our father-” Thor began.

_ Laufeyson. _

_ (“Tell you what, got the first name down pat.”) _

“ _ Your _ father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?” Loki taunted.

Thor dropped Loki.

_ As he did once before. _

_ On a grander scale. _

_ Little did he know he was delivering Loki to his destiny. _

“We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?” Thor pleaded.

“I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness.” Loki scoffed off the ploy of love. “I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king!”

“So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights. No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki.” Thor argued.

_ (Yet while he threatened Thor, Loki’s mind and heart continued to look towards that quinjet. _

_ The skin beneath his bracelets itched the more he thought of it.) _

“And you’re doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly threat.” Loki taunted further. “I mean to rule them. And why should I not?”

“You think yourself above them.” Thor realized.

“Well, yes.” Loki answered. Who could hope to be equal to the King?

_ (They would love him, oh yes they would both love Loki.) _

“Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill.” Thor cautioned.

Loki snarled. “I’ve seen worlds you’ve never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-”

“Who showed you this power?” Thor demanded. “Who controls the would-be-king?”

_ (Thor- get me out of here- I must keep them safe-I would keep them safe this time I swear I would-) _

“I am a king!” Loki argued.

“Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this  _ poisonous _ dream!” Thor ordered. His voice dropped into a plea, a beseechmet. “You come home.”

“I don’t have it.” Loki answered, which was true. Selvig held the Space Stone now. “You need the cube to bring me home, but I’ve sent it off I know not where.” For they would not be exactly where he had left them, if they had any sense. 

Which of course they did, borrowed from their King.

“You listen well, brother.” Thor warned, raising Mjolnir to his graps. “I-”

The Man of Iron knocked Thor off the mountain.

“I’m listening.” Loki replied to-

_ (-his brother.) _

-Thor.

==VIMH==

_ If Tony hit Thor harder than strictly necessary in that fight well...that’s nobody’s business. _

==VIMH==

Loki was escorted by guards through the helicarrier.

And if his attention settled on the robed man standing beside his Sceptre...then that was his own business.

_ (Steph-) _

==VIMH==

_ (Upstairs, Stephen and Tony spoke of Loki. They spoke of the confusion Loki had on his face whenever he looked Tony’s away. They spoke of how intent his stare was on Stephen, rather than his Sceptre.) _

_ (They spoke of magic that could control memories.) _

_ (Their gazes turned to the Sceptre) _

_ (They both swore) _

==VIMH==

The Black Widow tried to question Loki.

Loki refused to look away from his bracelets- which itched so terribly that they burned.

Oh for making him distracted from them- Loki threatened her with the worst threats he could manage. His Barton would love tearing apart Black Widow with barely blinking. The Barton beneath would be disgusted.

_ (If anyone touched what was Loki’s, he would do worse.) _

==VIMH==

To add insult to injury, he was trapped in the cell designed for what turned out to be Thor’s Soulmate.

Thor was always first-

_ (Except this one time.) _

==VIMH==

Then Loki was freed.

_ And he never felt more trapped _ .

==VIMH==

Loki saw the Man of Iron approach He grinned. He would not be shaken by this man once more. Not today or any day.

As the Man of Iron walked into his abode, so did Loki. He was met with the coolness of air conditioning yet again. A funny trick, by the mortals.

_ (J _ _ öt _ _ unn’s felt no cold. Pity.) _

Loki held his Sceptre, reminding the mortal that at any moment of weakness he would become Loki’s-

_ (Ant-) _

The mortal showed no fear. In fact, he walked over to his bar to pour himself a drink.

“Please tell me you’re going to appeal to my humanity.” Loki mocked.

The Man of Iron hummed. “Uh...actually, I’m planning to threaten you.”

“You should have left your armor on for that.” Loki chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s seen a bit of mileage.” The Man of Iron replied. He nodded his drink to Loki’s Sceptre. “You’ve got the blue stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?”

“Stalling me won’t change anything.” Loki informed him.

“No, no, no! Threatening. No drink?” The Man of Iron went on. “You sure? I’m having one. Stephen, you want one?”

Loki senses the magic before he sensed the man. He turned around to see a glowing golden portal from which a man stepped out. It was Ste- He had been explained as a Sorcerer Supreme on this planet, according to one report from his soldiers during the attack on the helicarrier. 

_ (He was back) _

_ (It was him) _

_ (He needs to  _ run _!) _

_ (RUN!) _

-dressed in his wizardry garb.

“I would.” The Sorcerer Supreme walked around Loki, not even sparing him a glance. The portal he had made closed as he left it.

The Man of Iron handed him a glass of whiskey. The Sorcerer Supreme drank from it.

Loki watched them-

_ (Together _

_ Together _

_ They were all together) _

_ (Burden...burden...burden...) _

-not bothering to hide his victorious pride.

“The Chitauri are coming.” Loki spoke on, ignoring the quiet darkness hovering in his chest. “Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?”

_ (Burden. I have a burden) _

“Us.” The Man of Iron stated. “Hey quick question. You check your Names yet?”

Loki tensed.

“Unless you couldn’t.” The Sorcerer Supreme mentioned. “They could be bound by a spell- I know of one, it’s tricky to unbind without help from the original caster. Simple, but effective.”

“I have no need for your petty magic, an illusion compared to the magic of gods.” Loki countered.

The Man of Iron snorted.

“Shut up.” The Sorcerer Supreme scolded the Man of Iron.

“I just got a sneak preview to the rest of my life. Watching you two argue about who’s got the better magic.” The Man of Iron sipped at his drink again. “Why shouldn’t I be laughing?”

The Sorcerer Supreme rolled his eyes. He had his own drink.

Loki made note of the slight shaking in his hands. Along with the scars littering his fingers.

_ (Who dare-) _

“You have no idea who are.” The Sorcerer Supreme stated. “There could be many fac- are you staring at my hands?”

“No.” Loki denied- too quickly, he realized belatedly.

The Man of Iron and the Sorcerer Supreme exchanged a look.

_ (And just like that, I am also given a glimpse of the rest of my life-) _

“The Avengers.” The Man of Iron warned him. Loki tilted his head. “It’s what we call ourselves, sort of like a team.  _ ’Earth’s mightiest heroes’  _ type of thing.”

“Yes, I’ve met them.” Loki replied. While the loss of Barton was annoying, it would do better in the larger plan. His betrayal would be answered after Loki took control.

“Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction, I’ll give you that one.But, let’s do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-God; the actual Sorcerer Supreme, who’s got a killer ass by the way-” “ _ Tony!” _ “-a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-takinganger management issues; a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella, you’ve managed to piss off every single one of them.”

Loki stared at him. “Tony.”

The taste of his name on Loki’s tongue was...familiar.

“Short for...short for-” Loki stumbled over his tongue. “Ant-”

His head thrummed.

Loki brushed a palm to his skull, trying to force out this magic. 

“Ant-”

“Anthony Stark.” The Man of Iron supplied- much closer than he had been a moment ago.

Loki hissed. He held his head with both hands. Dropping the Sceptre- a neccessary evil.

“Stephen Strange.” The Sorcerer Supreme introduced himself.

_ (Together. _

_ They were together.) _

“I-” Loki tried to growl. The words came out in a pained whimper. “I don’t know-”

“It’s alright.” The Sorcerer-  _ Stephen Strange- _ assured. He knelt at Loki’s side. “Your bracelets- the Names are under there yes?”

Loki hissed at him.

_ (Yet still, he held out his wrists to them.) _

“I have an army.” Loki growled in warning. 

“We have a Hulk.” Anthony Stark countered.

Loki nearly startled at that. “I thought the beast had wandered off.”

“You’re missing the point. There’s no throne, there is no version of this, where you come out on top.” Anthony Stark warned him. Stephen Strange’s hands glowed bright orange, he ran his hand over Loki’s bracelets. “Maybe your army comes and maybe it’s too much for us, but it’s all on you. Because if we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we’ll avenge it. Even from you.”

Loki growled.

The bracelets sparked in his green magic.

Stephen Strange moved his hand away. “Powerful holding magic, as I suspected.” He looked up at Loki. “And you’ve forgotten the spell to release them.”

_ (I won’t let them-) _

“I won’t let them-” Loki growled with the voice in his mind. He clapped his lips shut, before either could finish the statement.

Anthony Stark and Stephen Strange exchanged a knowing look.

“I could keep them from knowing.” Stephen Strange told Loki.

The Trickster laughed at him.

“This same magic, I performed on Agent Barton. Tell me, can you feel his mind?” Stephen Strange asked, knowing the answer already.

Loki hesitated.

“Just let us do it, Reindeer Games.” Anthony Stark scolded. “Come on. Quit pretending to be a stubborn little shit.”

Stephen Strange seemed to be holding back a comment- possible to the character of Anthony Stark. 

In that moment of distraction, Loki’s mind flared.

He grabbed for the Screpte, holding it towards Anthony Stark and Stephen Strange.

_ (If  _ anyone _ touched what was Loki’s-) _

“How will you be able to cast your magic, Sorcerer, if you’re so busy fighting him?” Loki warned.

He touched the Sceptre to Tony’s chest.

...well that’s odd.

Loki tried again.

...well that’s just awkward.

“It should work.” Loki commented.

“Well, performance issues. You know?” Anthony Stark remarked.

Well now Loki was pissed.

Before he could react though, Loki was thrown back from them by a heavy blast of green magic.

He collided with a wall- 

==VIMH==

_ (Millions of millions of millions of miles away-two figures were blown by back a similar green magic.) _

_ (The magic swirled around them- choking them- crushing them- capturing them- it would not let them go.) _

_ (For they tried touching what was Loki’s.) _

_ (And all that dared met their end) _

==VIMH==

Loki opened his eyes to the Avengers, who all stood before him in their best superhero poses.

“If it’s all the same to you.” Loki sat up, pushing back the aching in his bones. “I would have that drink now.”

Anthony Stark lifted up his mask. 

Loki fell again. For that face, the one he had not seen in an age, seemed only more entrancing since their first meeting. Granted a meeting that effectively ruined Loki’s life, otherwise a perfect exchange.

Then Loki looked to Stephen Strange-  _ Doctor, he remembered to add belatedly _ \- who had been missing last time. Apparently to train in magic. Loki was floored- literally- at this knowledge. He had always hoped at least one of his Soulmate’s would be in the fine art of magic.

“All right. Good one. No standing around, I’m closing up this door for later.” Anthony Stark instructed the Avengers, who quickly dispersed- save for himself and Dr Stephen Strange. “By the way, feel free to clean up.” Anthony told Captain America.

Loki couldn’t help but grin at him.

“Uhh, magic wand?” Natasha Romanoff inquired.

“STRIKE team's coming to secure it.” Anthony Stark informed them. He turned to Dr Stephen Strange. “How you doin’, bud?”

Stephen Strange huffed. “Tony-”

Loki held up his wrists. They glowed green.

“Brother no-” Thor began to yell.

The magic binding the bracelets fell away. Loki showed his Soulmates his exposed skin.

Anthony Stark smiled at his own name.

Dr Stephen Strange did much the same.

Loki smiled warmly- finally feeling... _ at peace. _

“Brother?” Thor prompted.

Honestly, Loki was so elated he didn’t even let himself be bothered by his brother’s interruption.

“What is-”

“Hey Point Break, cool it.” Anthony Stark scolded him. “We’re kinda having a moment here.”

Stephen Strange- who was in the process of taking off his own bracelets- gave Anthony a look.

Loki stared at his own name- yes, it was marred by his birth heritage but...it was his. It proved he belonged with Stephen Strange, belonged with Anthony Stark.

“What? He was interrupting. I was about to take you both out for Shawarma.” Anthony Stark excused.

“Why are you so obsessed with Shawarma today?” Stephen Strange asked.

Loki laughed- Loki laughed out all the tension- to the point where he nearly began to cry.

_ He belonged. _

==VIMH==

Anthony did indeed take them out for Shawarma.

Loki enjoyed it.

==VIMH==

Thor had been shocked to see Loki found his Soulmates. Shocked further to see he had met them before, which led to Loki discovering his heritage. Loki recalled explaining it all very frankly over Shawarma. 

Explained  _ Loki Laufeyson _ maring the flesh of his Soulmates.

Explained his conversation with Odin, which had gone awful.

Then his later fall from the BiFrost.

He spoke nothing of the Void. Nor of what happened on the other end.

He had no clue, of course, that his magic had seen to the end of the Other and Thanos.

He also had no clue that Anthony had seen to the end of Thanos’ mighty army. 

Who could have known that- in the sky- Gamora took quick control of what remained of Thanos’ army, killing all those who still stood with their former leader. Herself and Nebula going on to continue their father’s work- if only to get close to their father’s allies to take them out.

But nobody on Earth knew these things.

They were just enjoying some Shawarma.

==VIMH==

Loki was returned from Asgard a week after Thor brought him back.

The All-Mother had intervened on his punishment- suggesting banishment, as had been done to his brother.

Loki would be on Earth for a century- forced to repair the damage done by his invasion. He would stay with the Sorcerer Supreme, who admitted to knowing magic to contain the Trickster.

And if they happened to be Soulmates...well why should Odin need to know of such things?

Loki Laufeyson, Anthony Stark, and Dr Stephen Strange were all happy.

And they would stay that way...

...yes?


End file.
